Ethnic Rhinoplasty

Answer: It really depends on what you need. A small dorsal hump can be removed with a closed approach, but any work on the tip of the nose usually requires an open approach.

Answer: African American nose tends to have thicker more sebaceous skin and much weaker cartilages. These limit the tip refinement procedures. However, with use of additional cartilages and suture techniques, an ethnic rhinoplasty can still achieve a good result.

Answer: African-American noses have several common characteristics such as relatively flat dorsum, wide or flaring alae; thick skin; and poor tip support or weak cartilages. It is important that the rhinoplasty surgeon understands these traits and has a plan to address them accordingly. Furthermore, a good rhinoplasty surgeon should be able to appreciate sometimes-subtle intra-ethnic differences as well.